Safety device for railways.



J. F. GRAYBILL. SAFETY DEVICE EOE EAIEWAYE. APPLICATION FILED IAN. 12, 1914. 1,1 33,131 Patented MaEZS, 1915.

1HE NURRIS PETERS C0.. PHOTC-LITHO.. WASHINGIUN, D. C

J. F. GRAYBILL. SAFETY DEVICE PoR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1914. Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

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THE MORRIS PETERS CO PHOTO-LITHO.. WASH/NG rON. D. C.

i Josera FIDDLER GRAYBILL, or YORK, PnNNsYLvANIA.

. SAFETY DEVICE FOB RAILWAYS.

Application led January 12, 1914. Serial No. 811,710.

To all 'whom it may concern v Be it known that I, JOSEPH FIDDLER GRAY- BILL, a citizen of the United States, residing atl York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Railways; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to safety appliances for useonrailway tracks for quickly actuating the air brakes on a locomotive, and thereby stopping the train should the engineer fail to notice and to act upon danger signals.

One object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient automatic emergency stopmechanism adapted to be operated with the usual signals and semaphores at block stations and elsewhere along the track to release the pressure in the air train pipe to instantly set the brakes and'thereby stop the train.

Another object is to provide a simply constructed device actuated by the passage of a locomotive fender thereover for projecting it upward into the fender to break a frangible element housed Y'in said' fender and connected with the air train pipe whereby said pipe is vented and the train stopped.

Another object is to provide simple means yfor projecting an element from below up into the fender of a locomotive to break a frangible element connected with the air 'train pipe and which is housed in the fender, thereby venting the pipe and applying the-brakes.

yAnother object is to provide means for automatically returning said'trip or breaking element to operative position after thek passage of the train on the actuation of the setting mechanism.

Another object is to provide simple and efficient resilient means for reliably holding and arrangement ofv parts, as will be more fully described and claimed. f

In the accompanyingdrawings: Figure 1 represents a transverse section through .the

Specification of Letters Patent; Patented Mar, 23, 1915*,

housing in whichthis. improved safety device is mounted, a locomotive being shown in dotted lines and the actuatlng mechanlsm for the devlce 1n side elevation, said section j being taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig.

2 is aV longitudinal vertical section taken on` the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with a portion of a locomotive shown in dotted lines in side elevation the safety device being shown iny position ready for engagement by the locomotive fender. Fig. 3 is asimilar view with the trip or breaking element shown lowered inthe position which `it assumes after the passage of a train thereover. Fig.

4 is a similar view,k with the trip element returned to operative position and lowered into its housing ready to be again projected into the path of an approaching train. F ig.v

5 is a similar view with the' trip device-.

shown in the position which ity assumes should a train pass over the same tracks in the opposite direction, wherebyv said trip.

device in operative position in engagement therewith. Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the holding means released and the trip element turned.

In the embodiment illustrated. .a portion of a locomotive is shown in dottedlines in Figs. l and 2 with a frangible elementA shown connected with an air brake pipe B and housed within the fender C thereof.

This frangible element A may be composed of any suitable breakable material. preferably glass, and is completely housed within the fender and is protected thereby against breakage, except by an object projected upward into said fender from below.

A device for upward projection into'the` locomotive fender C is here shown in the form of a trip member or lever 1 pivotally'V mounted between twor laterally spaced mem'- bers 2 and 3 mounted to slide verticallywin guides 4 and disposed in a suitable housing arranged in a pit formed between thetrack y6, here shown constructed of concrete and v rails R. The guides 4 and 5 are here shown substantially U-shaped in cross section and preferably composed of metal, being secured within the housing 6 by any suitable means and in which the slides 2 and 3 move freely being connected by a cross bar 7, here shown disposed intermediately of the ends of said members 2 and 3 and at their upper ends they are connected by a shaft 8 on which the member 1 is pivotally mounted. This member 1 is shown provided with a hub 9 provided at one end with a recess 10 to receive a detent 11 formed on one end ofv a spring 12 which is apertured to slidably engage the shaft S and is secured at its other end to the sliding member 2, as is shown clearly in Fig. 1. The recess 10 in the hub of the member 1 is so positioned that when the trip or breaking element 1 is in operative position, the detent 11 will engage said recess and thus yieldably hold the member 1 against accidental actuation and yet permit it to readily move when engaged with a locomotive fender, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The trip member 1 is shown substantially in the form of a bell crank, the short arm 13 thereof being turned inwardlv towardA the long arm 14 to provide a hook-like member adapted for engagement by the fender of a passing locomotive when the device is lifted into the path of a passing train by means to be described. Trip engaging elements or stops 15 and 16 are shown disposed at opposite sides of the casing or track in which the sliding elements 2 and 3 move and they are positioned in different vertical planes as shown clearly in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5. T he stop 15 which is here shown in the form of a rod disposed between the guides 4 and 5 is arranged nearer the top of said guides than the stop 16 and is positioned to engage the outer edge of the short arm 15 of the trip lever 1 when the members 2 and 3 are lowered, thereby effecting a cam-like action on said lever and automatically turning it on its shaft 8 into operative position, as shown in Fig. 2 in which position, it is held by the det-ent 11 on the spring 12, which engages the recess 10 in the hub of said lever 1. In Fig. 4, the lever is shown in the position which it assumes after it has been turned by engagement with the rod 15 in which position, the free end of the arm 13 thereof is completely housed within the casing 6 below the slot 6 in the top of the housing 6 and through which it is adapted to be projected when the members 2 and 3 are moved upwardly by means to be described, which means is shown here under the control of a semaphore operator, but it is to be understood that it may be actuated in any other suitable manner, either automatically or otherwise. r1`he vstop 16 which is also shown inthe form of a rod connecting the guides 3 and 4 at the sides opposite to that connected by the rod 15, is positioned in a plane below said rod 15 and is adapted to be engaged by the long arm 14 of the lever 1 when a train passes over said device in the direction shown by the arrow o in Fig. 5. It forces said lever 1 downward in the position shown in Fig. 5, and prevents it from breaking the member A of the passing train and venting the pipe B to stop the train, as this is not desired when the train passes in this direction. "When the lever 1 is in the position shown in Fig. 5 and the members 2 and 3 are lowered, the arm 14 of said lever being engaged with the stop 16, will be moved upwardly by the lowering of said device and thus cause said lever to turn on its shaft 8 into the position shown in Fig. 4 in which position it will be held by the means above described.

Fulcrumed in suitable bearings in the housing 6 is a bell crank lever 17 the arm 18 of which is connected at its free end with a cross bar 7 of the trip actuating device by means of a link 19, as is shown clearly in Fig. 1. The other arm 20 of said lever has its free end connected by means of a pitman 21 with an actuating lever 22, here shown connected with a semaphore S and adapted to operate said semaphore for throwing it into the positions to indicate safety or danger, as` may be desired, said lever 22 being provided with a spring pressed dog 23 adapted to engage a rack 24 in the usual manner for locking said lever in adjusted position.

The sliding` head formed by the members 2 and 3 and their connecting cross bars, is adapted to reciprocate vertically in the guides 4 and 5 for raising and lowering the trip lever l to dispose it into either operative or inoperative position, as may be desired, said reciprocation being effected by means of the bell crank 17, pitman 21, and lever 22, as above described., but other means may be employed if found suitable or desirable.

Then it is desired to stop a train, the operator in the tower or at any other point, manipulates the lever 22 to position the semaphore to indicate danger and simultaneously therewith, sets the trip lever 1 by moving upwardly the head on which it is mounted through the bell crank 20 and pitman 21, as is shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, the short hook-like end 13 of the lever 1 projecting through the slot 6 in the top of the casing or housing` 6 into the path of the train to be stopped, said hook-like arm 13 being positioned for engagement by the fender of the train and when such engagement occurs, this lever will be turned on its shaft or pivot 8, thereby causing the long arm 14 thereof to move upwardly into the fender C and be forced into engagement with the frangible element A thereby breaking said element and venting the pipe B with which it is connected, thereby applying the brakes and stopping the train. By so positioning the frangible element A and the means for breaking it, it will be obvious that the element will be fully protected against accidental breakage by articles which may be on the track, and which the fender C will enga-ge and throw out of the way, and unless some element is projected upwardly from below the fender into engagement with the frangible element A, it will remain intact, and all danger of the train being accidentally stopped is thereby avoided.

After the train has passed over the trip lever 1, it will have assumed the position shown in Fig. 3 with the long arm 111 e'xtending forwardly and with the short arm 13 resting on the stop 15 as shown in Fig. 3. After the train has passed, the operator in the tower will actuate the lever 22 to lower the semaphore S and simultaneously lower the head carrying the trip lever 1 into the position shown in Fig. 1, the lowering operation causing said lever to be turned .by the stop 15 to position the hook-like fender engaging arm 13 upward ready for projection through the slot 6 in the top of the casing 6.

Should lthe lever be set in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and a train pass over the track in the direction of the arrow a, the fender thereof would engage the rounded rear edge of the arm 13 and turn the lever 1 downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 5, and after the train has passed, the downward movement of the head carrying said lever, will cause the stop 16 engaging the long arm 14 thereof to turn the lever on its shaft into normal position shown in Fig. 4 where it is held by the spring pressed detent 11 engaging the recess 10 in the hub of said lever, and the device is then ready to be again projected through the top of the casing into the path' of ano-ther train to be stopped.

1 claim as my invention 1. A safety appliance for actuating air brakes comprising a. casing adapted to be mounted in a pit between the track rails, laterally vspaced vertically disposed guides arranged in said casing, a head slidably mounted in said guides, a lever rotatably mounted on said head and having arms Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each,

Washington, D. C.

positioned one to be engaged by a pass ing train and the other for upward projection. on the engagement of said first mentioned arm by said passing train, and cooperating means on said head and lever for yieldably locking said lever in adjusted position and means for reciprocating said head.

2. A safety appliance for brakes comprising a casing mounted in a pit between laterally spaced vertically disposed guides arranged in said casing, a head slidably mounted in said guides, a lever rotatably mounted on said head and having arms positioned one to be engaged by a passing train and the other for upward projection on the engagement of said first mentioned arm by said passing train, said trip lever having a hub provided with a recess and a spring pressed detent mounted on said head for engagement with said recess to lock said lever in operative position, and means for reciprocating said head.

3. An air brake operating device comprising a casing adapted to be mounted in a pit between the rails of a track, a head mounted to slide vertically in said casing and comprising laterally spaced members connected to a cross bar, a rod also arranged actuating air adapted to be `between and connecting said members, a'

rotatably mounted on: j said rod, said hub having a recess therein,

lever having a hub the track rails,v

a spring mounted on said head and having a j detent for engaging said recess to lock said` lever in operative position, said lever having arms positioned one to be engaged by a passing train and the other tobe projected upward on the engagement of said first mentioned arm of a train.

4. A safety appliance for air brakes comprising a casing, a head mounted to reciprocate vertically therein, va trip lever rotatably mounted on ried by said casing for engagement by said trip lever position after the passing of a train in either direction on the lowering of said head.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit-y nesses.

JOSEPH FIDDLER GRAYBILL. l\itnesses:

J. F. VrrMAN, C. H. TRoNE.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

said head, and means oar-V to turn said lever into operativev 

